Circuit making and breaking device.



No. 852,414. PATENT-ED MAY '7, 1907.

S. BOUTON. CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10, 1906.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Q Q m Q I Q? S. BOUTON. CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 10, 1906.

PATENTED MAY 7, 1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESS E5 INVENTEIR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT B. BLACK, OF CONCORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

To all whtom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, SAMUEL BoUToN, a

v citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn,

in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Imrovements in-Circuit Making and Breaking evices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a device for making and breaking an electric circuit and causing a spark in the cylinder of a gas en- 7 g ine for the purpose of igniting the compressed gases therein, in a manner well, known to those skilled in the art.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and durable device for making and breaking the circuit, and one which may be readily adjusted to make and break the circuit at different. times with relation to the position of the piston in the cylinder of the engine, and thus increase or diminish the speed of the piston and the number of rotations of the crank shaft.

The invention consists in a rotary contactcarrier, an operating contact-stud fast thereto and rotating therewith, a stationary con tact carrier, and a reciprocatory contact stud insulated from said operating contact stud and arranged to slide upon said stationary contact carrier in a direction parallel to the axial center of said rotary contact carrier.

The invention again consists in the instrumentalities hereinbefore set forth, in combi.

nation with improved means for adjusting or regulating the position of saidreciprocatory. contact stud with relation to said rotary contact stud, both about the axial center of said revoluble contact stud and also laterally with relation thereto. v

The invention finally consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of myimproved circuit making and breaking device. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation taken on line 2- 2 of Fig. 1, looking toward the left in said figure. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a gas engine with my improved circuit making and breaking device attached thereto, the electric con= nections from the circuit making device to the electrodes being illustrated in diagram in said view.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 10, 1906. Serial No. 300,377-

CIRCUIT MAKING AND BREAKING DEVICE.

Patented May 7, 1907.

Like numerals refer .to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a as engine, in which 9 is the frame, 10 the cy inder, 11 the piston, 12 the connectin rod, 13 the crank, and 14 the crank-sha t. A sparking plug 15- of well known construction is fast to the cylinder 10 and terminates in two electrodes 16 and 17. The electrode 17 is connected by a secondary wire 18 to an induction coil 19, said induction coil being connected in turn, by connections 20 and 21, to a battery 22. 23 connects the spark coil 19 with the frame 9 of the engine.

The circuit makin and breaking device A ground wire consists, primarily, o a rotary contact piece and a stationary contact piece, said stationary contact piece being adjustable with relation to the rotary'contact piece in order to produce the igniting spark at different times with relation to the position of the piston in the cylinder, thus varying the speed of the engine according to the variation in time of the explosion of the gas caused ,by the spark, in the manner well known to those skilled in this art.

The rotary contact carrier 24 cons sts, preferably, of a sprocket gear fast to a rotary shaft 25 j'ournaled in brackets 26 fast to the frame 9. The contact carrier 24 and shaft 25 are rotated by a sprocket gear 27 fast to the crank shaft 14 and connected to the sprocket gear contact carrier 24 by a sprocket chain 28. A'contact stud 29 is fastened to the contact carrier 24 and revolves with it. In the left'hand end of said contact stud 29 (Fig. 2.) is provided a hemispherical recess 30 in which is located a ball 31. i

i The stationary contact carrier 32 is preferably formed of insulating material, in the shape of a disk/and isfast to a bushing 33 loosely mounted upon the shaft 25, said bush- .ing and stationary contact carrier being prevented from endwise movement upon said shaft at one side thereof by the contact carrier 24 and at the other side thereof by a washer 34 and nut 35. .A reciprocatory contact stud 36 is arranged to slide upon said stationary contact carrier 32 longitudinally of the shaft 25, the same being arranged to slide in a sleeve 37 fast to the carrier 32 by a screw 38 (Fig. 2). The right hand end of the recipro .catory contact stud 36 is provided with a ICC conical flange 39 and the left hand end thereof is screw-threaded to receive an adjusting nut 40, which, it will be understood, regulates the distance to which the reciprocatory contact stud 36 may be moved toward the right (Fig. 2) by the spiral compression spring 41,, one end of said spring bearing against the left hand side of the flange 39, the other end thereof bearing against the sleeve 37.

The end of the contact stud 36 opposite to that upon which the flange 39 is formed is provided With a contact point 42, arranged to contact upon the movement of said stud 36 toward the left, as hereinbefore described, with a contact point 43 fast to a contact spring plate 44. The spring plate 44 is fastened to a binding post 45, said binding post being fastened to the contact carrier 32. A primary wire 46 connects the binding post 45 with the induction coil 19.

The axial centers of the contact studs 29 and 36 are equidistant from the axial center of the shaft 25. It Will be evident that as the contact carrier 24 is rotated, as hereinbefore described, together with the shaft 25, the ball 31. will come in contact with the conical flange 39 and that as said ball and contact stud 29 pass the contact stud 36 the same will yield, by reason of the compression of the spring 41, and will remain constantly in contact with said ball until the same is passed by in its rotation. The length of contact of the ball 31 with the flange 39 may be regulated by means of the adjusting nut 40, and any wear upon the ball 31 or upon the flange 39 may be compensated for by said adjusting nut. It will again be observed that the con tact stud 29 and ball 31 are operative in contacting with the flange 39 in either of the two directions of rotation taken by the shaft 25 and contact carrier 24.

In order to vary the time of the igniting spark with relation to the piston 11 the contact carrier 32 is adjusted about the axis of the shaft 25 by means of a lever 47, pivoted at 48 to the frame of the machine, said lever 47 being connected by a rod 49 to an arm 50 fast to the stationary contact carrier 32. The lever 47 is locked in position by a spring slide bolt 51 and notched segment 52. l

The operation of my improved circuit making and breaking device, hereinbefore specifically described, is as follows: The contact carrier 24 is rotated by means of the sprocket gear 27, (fast to the crank-shaft 14) and sprocket chain 28. As said contact carrier 24 is rotated, the stud 29 is revolved therewith, together with the ball 31. The ball 31 comes into contact, during its rotation, with the conical flange 39, pushing said flange, together with the stud 36 and ccntact point 42, toward the left (Fig. 2) until said contact point 42 contacts with the contact point 43, completing the circuit through the spring plate 44, binding post 45, primary Wire 46, through the induction coil 19, connection 21, battery 22, connection 20, through the induction coil again and through the ground. wire 23 to the frame 9 from the frame 9, through the shaft 25 and sprocket gear or contact car rier 24 to the stud 29. The secondary circuit passes'froin the induction coil 19, through the connection 18 to the sparking plug 15, passing from the electrode 17 to the electrode 1.6, said. electrode 1.6 being fast to the outer casing of the sparking plug. The circuit is completed through the frame 9 and ground wire 23 to the induction coil 19. It will be seen and understood that the contact stud 29 during a portion of the rotation of-said located in said hemispherical recess, a station ary contact carrier, and a reciprocatory contact stud, insulated from said operating contact stud and arranged to slide upon said stationary contact carrier in a direction parallel to the axial center of said rotary contact carrier, said ball constructed to make, during a portion of the rotation of said. rotary contact. carrier, mechanical and electrical contact with said reciprocatory contact stu l.

2. In a circuit making and breaking device, a rotary contact carrier, an. operating contact stud fast thereto and operating therewith, a stationary contact carrier, a roe ciprocatory contact stud insulated from said operating contact stud and arranged to slide upon said stationary contact carrier in adirection parallel to the axial center of said rotary contact carrier, and means to adust said reciprocatory contact stud about the axis of said rotary contact carrier, said operating stud constructed to make, during a portion of the-rotation of-said rotary contact carrier, mechanical and electrical contact with said reciprocatory contactstud.

3. In a circuit making and breaking device, a rotary contact carrier, an operating contact stud. fast thereto and operating therewith, a stationary contact carrier, a reciprocatory contact stud insulated from said operating contact stud and arranged to slide upon said. stationary contact carrier in. a direction parallel to the axial center of said rotary contact carrier, and means to adjust said stationary contact carrier about the axis of said rotary contact carrier, said operating stud constructed to make, during a portion of the rotation of said rotary contact carrier, mechanical and electrical contact with said reciprocatory contact stud.

4 Inla circuit making breaking de- ,vic'e,-a rotary contact carrier, an operating contactstud fast thereto and operating therea with, a stationary contact carrier formed of insulating material, a'reciprocatory contact stud" arranged to slide upon said stationary contact carrier in a direction parallel to the an'al centerof saidrotar contact carrier, a

i spring-acting to move sai recigrocatory contact stud longitudinally of sai axial center, a contact springi fast to saidstationary contact carrier, an a'binding" post fast to said contact spring, said reciprocato contact stud arranged-to make mechanica and electrical contact at one end thereof with said operating contact stud during a .portion of vice, a rotary shaft, a contact carrier fast slide upon said stationary contact carrier,

. l'ongltudinally of, said shaft, and to make mec anical and electrical contact with said olperating contact stud during a portion of t e rotation of said contact carrier.

6. In acircuitmaking and breaking device, a' rotary shaft, a contact carrier fast thereto, an operating contact stud fastto I lating' material mounted upo reciprocatory contact stud arranged to slide said contact carrier and operating therewith, a stationary contact carrier formed of insun said shaft, a

upon said stationary contact carrier,'longitudinally of said shaft, and means .to adjust said stationary contact carrier about the I axis of said shaft, said operating contact stud "constructed to make,- during a portion of the rotation of saidro't contact carrier, me

chanical and electrica contact with said re-' ciprocatory contact stud.

- 7. In a circuit making'and breaking device, a rotary-shaft, a contact carrier fast thereto, an operating stud fast to said contion tact carrier and operating'jtherewith, a stacontact carrier formed of insulating material mounted upon said shaft, a recip e rotation of said-operating contact studv and at its opposite end with said contact;

spring. f5, 11 a circuit making and breaking desaid mile, a spri rocatory contact stud arranged to slide upon said stationary contact carrier, longitudinally of said shaft, a spring acting to move said reciprocatory contact stud longitudinally of said shaft, and means to regulate the distance to which said reciprocatory contact stud can be moved by said spring,said 0 erating contact stud constructed to make, uring a portion of the rotation of said rotary contact carrier? mechanical and electrical contact with said reci rocator contact stud.

8; In a circuit making an breaking device, an axle, a contact carrier pivotally mounted upon said axle, means to adjust said contact carrier about said axle, and a contact stud insulated from and arranged to slide upon said carrier longitudinally of said p 7 axle.

9. In a circuit making and breaking device, an axle, a contact carrier pivotally mounted upon said axle, means to adjust said, contact carrier about saidaxle, a contact stud insulated from and arranged to slide upon said carrier longitudinally of said axle, and a spri acting to move said contact stud longitu ally of said axle.

10. In a circuit making and breaking device, an axle, a contact carrier formed of insaidmeans to, adjust said contact carrier about said axle, a contact stud arranged to slide upon said carrier longitudinally of acting to move said contact stud longitu 'nall of said axle, a contact s ring fast to said contact carrier arranged to contact with one end of said contact stud, and a binding post fast to said con-- tact sp 11-. A circuitmaking and breaking device comprising inits construction a contact carrier, a pivot therefor, means to adjust said contact carrier about said pivot, and a contact stud insulated from and arranged to 5 slide upon said carrier longitudinally of said pivot:

In testimonywhereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribingwitnesses. l

' I SAMUEL BOUTON.

Witnesses:

Ommnns S. Goonme', Axum "J. BAILEY,

sulatilgg material pivotally mounted upon 

